|
 After blowing a 20-point lead Thursday night in a loss to the
Denver Nuggets, the Warriors avoided repeating the same mistake,
posting a 112-95 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on
Friday night.
Curry had a triple-double with 30 points, 12 assists and 10
rebounds, becoming the first Warriors' player since Wilt Chamberlain
to record four triple-doubles in a season. Chamberlain had five
during the 1962-63 campaign.
"It's amazing. Anytime you're on a list with Wilt, a Hall of Fame
legend, it's special," said Curry, who scored 22 of his points in
the first half. "I wear this Warrior uniform with pride; it's the
only one I've worn. Anytime you can do something that enhances the
franchise, it means a lot."
Curry connected on 12 of 20 shots, including four of five from
behind the 3-point arc.
"It's what superstars do," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said.
"He's a guy that was very upset last night after the game. He talked
about it, expressed it, and on top of that, what the special players
do is that they do something about it in between the lines. His
will, his determination, his competitive spirit carried us tonight."
Curry, though, was more excited about clinching a postseason berth.
"It means a lot," Curry said. "We know the history of the franchise,
and to keep making strides to be perennial playoff contenders, these
are big-time accomplishments. We got to appreciate it and continue
to move forward, close out the season strong and get ready for
hopefully another big playoff run."
The win allowed the Warriors (49-30) to remain at No. 6 in the
Western Conference race, 1 1/2 games ahead of the idle Dallas
Mavericks. Golden State also snapped an 11-game skid against the
Lakers at Staples.
"Our energy was down," said Lakers center Jordan Hill, who finished
with 18 points and 12 rebounds. "We have to keep fighting, keep
battling."
Los Angeles (25-54), which dropped its sixth in a row, set a
franchise record for losses in a season.
Guard Klay Thompson and reserve forward Marreese Speights scored 16
apiece for Golden State.
Forward David Lee, who missed seven games with a right hamstring
strain and nerve inflammation in his leg, returned and came off the
bench to score 10 points and grab 10 rebounds.
Warriors reserve guard Steve Blake faced the Lakers for the first
time since being traded for forward Kent Bazemore and guard MarShon
Brooks. Blake scored 13 points, dished out five assists and had five
rebounds.
[to top of second column] |
"This was his best overall game," Jackson said of Blake. "I think a
guy like him, who does everything right, deserves to come back in a
place where he did some special things and have some success."
Guard Nick Young came off the bench to score 25 points to lead the
Lakers, while forward Ryan Kelly added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Golden State pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring the
Lakers 32-17 for a 58-43 halftime lead. The Warriors, who led by as
many as 21 points, maintained a double-digit lead for much of the
second half.
One night after the Nuggets hammered the Warriors on the glass by a
63-38 margin, Golden State outrebounded the Lakers 57-42. The
Warriors also had a 46-32 edge on points in the paint.
The Warriors prevailed despite playing without forward Andre
Iguodala, who sat out with right knee tendinitis.
NOTES: Golden State coach Mark Jackson said he won't rest any of his
players until the Warriors lock up their seed. "It's not our goal
just to be a playoff team," Jackson said. "Until we're locked into a
position, we will continue to chase the ultimate spot, whatever that
may be." Jackson on Lakers G Steve Nash passing him this week for
No. 3 on the career assists list: "I don't feel good about being
fourth," Jackson joked. "But I will say it's a tremendous honor when
you look at the list, and being surrounded by (John) Stockton and
(Jason) Kidd and (Steve) Nash and Magic (Johnson) and Oscar
(Robertson) and Isiah (Thomas), it's incredible." ... The Warriors
have two of their three remaining games on the road, with visits to
the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday and to Denver to play the
Nuggets on Wednesday. Those games are sandwiched around a home
contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. ... The Lakers
cap their homestand against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday followed
by road games against the Utah Jazz on Monday and the San Antonio
Spurs on Wednesday to close the season.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
